Somebody paid $51 for a letter written two years ago by Cincinnati serial killer Donald Harvey.

The auction, on the eBay Internet site, ended at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The four-page letter attracted eight bids. Written to the man who sold it, James Sparks of Alabama, the letter talks about Mr. Harvey's favorite actress  Kim Zimmer, who plays Reva on Guiding Light.

Information was not available on the bidder. E-mail messages sent to the seller and bidders were not answered.

Schools increase passage on tests

More than 60 percent of Cincinnati Public School students who were in the third grade last year have now passed Ohio's reading proficiency test, Superintendent Steven Adamowski said Thursday.

The latest results come from a group of students who took the test again at the end of August.

These students did not pass the test at the end of the five-week summer school program, which saw 55 percent of students pass the exam.

Students who still have not passed the test can take it again in October.

Mr. Adamowski announced the results at Vine Street School, which had perfect attendance in its summer school program, as well as the highest percentage of students passing the test.

Forty-two percent of Cincinnati Public Schools' second-graders and 20 percent of its third-graders had to attend summer school because of the district's new Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Students in the second and third grades who did not pass the state's reading proficiency test were required to attend.

The Third Grade Reading Guarantee is an effort by the district to get students reading at grade level before the state's Fourth Grade Reading Guarantee takes effect in the 2001-02 school year. The state will require students to read at fourth-grade level or be held back.

40 arrested at Phish concert

Police made at least 40 arrests Wednesday outside the Phish concert at Riverbend, most of them for selling drugs to undercover officers.

Officers from Cincinnati, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and special drug units RENU and Operation Street Corner made deals for many kinds of drugs, including Ecstasy, marijuana, LSD, Percocet, methamphetamine, mushrooms and the cancer painkiller Oxycontin.

Several of those arrested were arrested for obstructing official business because they stood as lookouts, pointing out the undercover officers.

Most taken to jail were out-of-towners in the area for the concert. The band is known for fans who follow it around the country.

Third man held in July slaying

A third suspect in the July killing of a Colerain Township man is back in Cincinnati, behind bars.

Fugitive trackers found Demetric Reynolds, 19, in Detroit.
He is charged with murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault in the July 9 death of Bubacarr Kassama. They brought him back to the Hamilton County Justice Center on Wednesday.

Mr. Kassama, 25, was found dead on a sidewalk in the 2100 block of Fulton Avenue in Walnut Hills. He and a friend were at the Yacht Club in Clifton Heights when they met two women. Authorities said the four went to Fulton Avenue in a vehicle driv en by Mr. Kassama. One of the women talked to a man on the street, then led the other occupants of the car into a building on Fulton.

When Mr. Kassama, his friend and the other woman left the building a few minutes later, an unknown male approached Mr. Kassama and demanded his jewelry. Mr. Kassama was then shot.

Another man and woman already have been arrested in the homicide.

Accident kills motorcyclist, 19

WEST CHESTER TWP.  A 19-year-old man was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a culvert Thursday.

Thomas Q. Sweeney, of the 5200 block of Whispering Wood Way, West Chester, was traveling east on Hamilton-Mason Road near Mauds Hughes Road when the crash occurred.

Air Care was called to the scene, but he was pronounced dead before he could be transported.

Police on Thursday afternoon said their investigation was continuing, but there were no initial indications that alcohol or drugs were involved.

However, speed may have been a factor, said a news release from Sgt. Barry Walker of the West Chester department's traffic safety unit.

No additional details were available.

Turpin junior held in bomb threat

A Turpin High School student was arrested Thursday for allegedly threatening to blow up his school.

The 17-year-old junior was charged with inducing panic after Hamilton County sheriff's deputies investigated a note found in a bathroom stall. The note, in the boy's restroom, said a bomb would go off at 11:45 a.m.

The school was evacuated, but classes later resumed.

Police open house to show new tools

HAMILTON  The Hamilton Police Department will conduct an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at its headquarters, 331 S. Front St.

We have an exciting array of new electronic equipment that will be on display, and we look forward to demonstrating these new innovative tools to our citizens, said Police Chief Neil Ferdelman.

A computerized fingerprinting machine, lie-detector test and other specialized equipment will be featured, along with various vehicles and Sydney the police horse.

GOSHEN  A 19-year-old Clermont County man killed this week in a single-vehicle crash might have fallen asleep at the wheel, police at the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

Charles Weaver, of Wayne Township, was driving alone east on Woodville Pike near Shiloh Road at 11:30 p.m. Monday when he drove his vehicle into a ditch, police said. It then struck a culvert and a utility pole.

Mr. Weaver, who was wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Lt. Paul Hermes said initial indications were that neither drugs nor alcohol was a factor, and that because of the lack of skid marks, it was possible Mr. Weaver fell asleep.